Nursing homes in disadvantaged communities are more likely to overmedicate residents with antipsychotics, especially homes that are understaffed, according to a new study. “The neighborhood in which a nursing home is located seems to influence how widely antipsychotics are used, even when they may not be indicated,” says Jasmine Travers, assistant professor at the Rory Meyers College of Nursing at New York University and senior author of the study published in JAMA Network Open. Antipsychotic medications are used to treat serious psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. These medications ..read more

A drug used to treat children with epilepsy prevents brain tumor formation and growth in two mouse models of neurofibromatosis type 1, according to a new study. Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a genetic condition that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body, including the optic nerves, which connect the eyes to the brain. The findings lay the groundwork for a clinical trial to assess whether the drug, lamotrigine, can prevent or delay brain tumors in children with NF1. The study appears in the journal Neuro-Oncology. “Based on these data, the Neurofibromatosis Clinical Trials Co ..read more

As solar energy development accelerates, a new survey explores how Americans actually feel about those large scale solar farms they see along the highway or near their neighborhood. The survey finds that for residents living within three miles of a large-scale solar (LSS) development, positive attitudes outnumber negative attitudes by almost a 3-to-1 margin. The researchers surveyed almost 1,000 residents living near solar projects—the first time a representative survey of this kind has been deployed nationally. Among these respondents, 42% support additional development in their community, c ..read more

Researchers have created a vaccine to fight antibiotic resistance. Driven by the overuse of antimicrobials, pathogens are quickly building up resistances to once-successful treatments. It’s estimated that antimicrobial-resistant infections killed more than 1 million people worldwide in 2019, according to the World Health Organization. “There are worries that at the rate things are going, in perhaps 20 or 30 years, few of our drugs will be effective at all,” says Xuefei Huang, a Michigan State University Research Foundation Professor in the chemistry and biomedical engineering departments. “Th ..read more

A new study explores the effect of climate change on the spread of malaria. Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite that spreads from bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. If left untreated in humans, malaria can cause severe symptoms, health complications, and even death. In tropical and subtropical regions where malaria is prevalent, scientists are concerned that climate warming might increase the risk of malaria transmission in certain areas and contribute to further spread. However, there is still much to learn about the relationship between temperature and the m ..read more

Rates of Salmonella in fecal and environmental samples are more prevalent on larger commercial farms than on smaller backyard farms, according to a comparison of differently sized poultry farms. Perhaps more importantly, multidrug resistance was found in Salmonella samples from both types of production systems, even though antibiotics are not used on backyard farms and are only used sparingly on commercial farms. The findings could help small and larger farms understand more about the spread of Salmonella in their respective systems. “We wanted to look at backyard broiler farms; broilers are ..read more

New research suggests psilocybin has similar side effects to traditional antidepressants. Commonly referred to as “magic mushrooms,” psilocybin is a promising alternative treatment for people with medication-resistant depression and anxiety. Previous studies have suggested that the psychedelic fungi can have positive effects for patients suffering from some mental illnesses, but one question remains: Is psilocybin actually a safe alternative to traditional medications? A new meta-analysis suggests it may be. The study finds that when given as a therapeutic single-dose, psilocybin has similar ..read more

When it comes to weight loss, how many calories you consume might be more important than when you consume them, researchers report. The findings challenge the popularity of intermittent fasting. For the study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, the researchers randomly assigned 41 adults with obesity and prediabetes to either time-restricted eating (TRE) with a 10-hour eating window or a regular eating pattern for 12 weeks to compare weight loss and other measures of metabolic health. Their randomized, controlled trial found that both TRE and a more traditional daily eating ..read more

Researchers have developed a new cancer immunotherapy to localize cancer-killing cytokines in tumors to improve treatment effectiveness. Cancer is the monster of our society. Last year alone, more than 600,000 people in the United States died from cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. The relentless pursuit of understanding this complex disease has shaped medical progress on developing treatment procedures that are less invasive while still highly effective. Immunotherapy is on the rise as a possible solution. Immunotherapy involves harnessing the power of the body’s immune system ..read more

Community pharmacies may play a key role in helping people quit smoking, a new study shows. The findings provide valuable insights into the implementation of tobacco cessation services within community pharmacies while identifying barriers to further improvements. Tobacco use remains a leading preventable cause of death. Although two thirds of people who smoke would like to quit, many individuals trying to quit on their own are not successful. To address this gap, the study explored how pharmacists and pharmacy technicians could assist in providing tobacco cessation support. The study, publis ..read more